Apparatus for drying and conditioning grain and other materials.



J. F. LA HART, C. .I. 'BOUR & F. B. HARRIMAN. APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND CONDITIONING GRAIN AND OTHER MATERIALS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. I3. I9I3.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented July 3, 1917.

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J. F. L'AHART, 0.]. BOUR & F. B. HARRIIVIAN.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND CONDITIONING GRAIN AND OTHER MATERIALS.

MPLICATION FILED NOV- !3. 1913.

Patented July 3, 1917;

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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MINNESOTA, AND CHARLES J. BOUB, AND FRANK Q seesaw 91 CHICAGO: LL QI arrnzarrtrns r703 IPRXILTG A D coNpIrroN r ve GRAIN sun OTHER MATEB4IALS.

Specif cation Letters Patent.

Patented J u ly 3, 1917.

Application filed November 13, 191$. Serial No. 800,713.

"0 ((ZZ whom it may camera:

Be it ilfillOWll that we, JoHN F. LAHART, CHARLES J. Boomand FRANK B. HaRnIM N, citizens of the United States, residing at llilinneapolis and Chicago, respectively, in

the counties of Hennepin and Gook, respectively, and States of Minnesota and Illinois, respectively, :have invented. certain new and useful Improvements 'in Apparatus for Drying and Conditioning Grain and other Materials; and .we do .horeby declare the following to'be a full, clear,.and.exactdescriplion .ot' the invention, [such as .willenable others skilled intheartrto which it appertalns to make and use. the. same.

I @ur invention has for its object to .pro-

vijde an improved drying and tempering apparatus adapted for various different uses, aud'to such ends generally stated,.the inventi on consists of the ndn elv devices landcombinations of devices. hereinafter described and d elincd J i n the claim.

Before grain can bie properly stored, it must bedried toa certain conditionQandto properly prepare wheat and other grains for milling, it mustbe brought to acertain condition inwhich it contains j ust the right amount of moisture. This latter treatment is called conditioning audit consists sometimes in drying grain which eontainstoo much moisture, and sometimes in supplyin moistin'e to the graintwhich isfoun'd to be too dry for milling.

Our improved apparatus herein disclosed and claimed, is adapted for drying, or otherwise conditioning grain, and hencefis called a combined drier and conditioner,

Certai n other a materials require a very analogous treatment some require simply to be drled; and somerequlre to be moistened.

The apparatus is adapted for such other uses,'for example, as the drying of sand,the drying of crushed or-granulated ores, 01' the drying of clay, or of other earthsubstances eontainingfsiliea. IIO\V6VG1,'--l1l the further description of= tliisapparatus, it will be considered as if used to dry or condition grain. I I

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the" invention,- like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in vertical-section; taken through the improved apparatus, some parts being removed and some parts being shown in full;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the same'line as Fig. 1, or on the line 562 o1'1Fig..3;

Fig. 3 is a .l'iorizontal section taken on the use 0a? 0 on l ig. l; and Fig. t is a plan view with some parts sectioned, showing the spraying .pip or head for supplying moisture withinlthe apparatus.

It will, of course, be understood that this apparatus may be made in any suitable size. It may be stated, however, that it is especially adapted to be made in very large sizes, having capacity for handlinga large amount of grain or othermaterialto bedried; The shell of the bin or hopper is, in the drawings, shown as rectangular in horizontal cross section, but it may bemade'round, or of any other suitable form.

The numeral 1 indicates the shell of an upright xbin having a hopper-like bottom terminating in a suitable air spout 2;This bin maybe made of sheet metal,'or' of any other suitable material, and it may be supported in any suitableway as for example, by extending the saine throughthe several floors-3 oi a-building, (see dotted lines'in Fig.1). This bin, as indicated, is shown as rectangular in cross section, and its side plates are shown as reinforced by horizontal beams 4. The bin 1 is provided, list above its; hopper bottom, with an interhopper bottom 5, suitablysupported therefrom, and provided with a discharge spout '6 that is adapted to-b'e openedfand closed, at will, by

a gate or slide valve 7, 'tliemov'eme'nts of" which, as shown, are controlled by a lever pivoted thereto, and bearing 9 on the said spout.

Spaced inward from the walls of the bin l'to afford as'urrounding air space 10, is an interlining made up of inwardly inclined horizontally extended slats 111that afiord louver partitions between the airspace 1O andytheinterior of the bin. This louver 1l,

and the, false botto'm'or interhopperb at ford a complete inner bin,.the vertical Walls of which willnot perinitjgrain, or similar material toiflo'w outward therethroug'h, but, nevertheless, provide for the'free circulationof aair. Tlie slats ll ofthislouver may be supported in a great many different wzt'ys, but prei'erably,they are spaced apart by spacing blocks '12, (seeiIFig. 2) and are bolted, riveted, or otherwise rigidly secured to upright inner bars 13, and upright innerbars 14, the formerof enemas shown,

are flat bars, while the latter are angle irons. To space the louver and support the same inward from the walls of the bin 1, lacing bars 15 are preferably secured to the angle bars 1d and to similar angle bars 16 secured on the interior of the walls of the bin, (see Figs. 1 and 2).

Preferably the inner bin formed by the louver 11, is closed at its top by a cover plate 17, while the air surrounding air space 10 is left entirely open at its top. The air spout 2, which connects to the conical lower portion of the air space 10, is shown as connected to a fan or blower 18 of any suitable construction, and the 'said spout 2 is provided with a vent pipe 19 and is adapted to be closed or opened to any desired extent by a gate valve 21.

The grain or other material to be dried or conditioned is preferably introduced into the central upper portion of the bin through a supply spout 22, the lower end of which extends through the cover 17 and is provided with an adjustable side 23 serving as a gate to vary the size of the delivery end of said supply spout.

This gate 23 is shown as connected to a latch lever 24 that is pivoted to and cooperates with-a latch segment-25 secured on the said cover 17 Extended vertically and axially through the bin is a ladder-like skeleton steam rack made up of upright tubes 26 and horizontal connecting tubes 27. The lower portion of this rack is connected to a steam heating pipe 28 by one or more connecting pipes 29, that extend through the upper portion of the spout 6 at one side of the gate 7. A steam supply pipe 29 is connected to the upper portion of said rack, being, as shown, connected to one of the upright pipes 26 thereof. This so-called steam. rack performs two important functions, to-wit, in the first place, it affords a heat radiator for heating the grain or material to be dried, and in the second place, it affords a sort of retarding device preventing too rapid flow of the grain or material at the axis of the bin, and giving chance for the grain to properly flow from the sides of the bin, inward and downward, so that the grain will be thoroughly stirred up and evenly heated.

The heat supplied to the grain or material being dried, willcause a liberation of'the moisture primarily contained therein and the vapors will escape through the louver interlining 11 into the surrounding air space v 10, and from thence, will be drawn off and carried away by the upwardly moving blast from the blower 18. In fact, this upwardly moving blast from the blower through the air space 10 will assist in drawing the moisture out of the grain.

The flow of the grain or materials in the bin might be regulated by adjustment of the gate or valve 7 and hence, the grain or material may be kept for any desired length of time within the bin, as may be required to efiect the proper drying or conditioning. Of course, the supply of grain to the upper portion of the bin should be correspondingly regulated and this may be done by adjustments of the supply gate 23.

The moisture supplying device for use in tempering grain that is too dry for milling, is shown as comprising a watersupply pipe 30 which terminates in an endless perforated nozzle or head 31 located immediately over the upper portion of the axially located steam rack. Preferably, the water supply pipe 30 is provided with a globe valve 32 and with a water meter 33, by means of the former of which, the supply of water may be regulated, the said meter serving to indicate the amount of water being supplied to the grain. Obviously, by proper adjustments of the water supply valve 32, and of the supply gate 23 and discharge gate 7, any desired amount of moisture per unit of grain or material may be supplied. Obviously, the water supplied to the grain will be sprayed thereon and delivered evenly around the axis of the bin at the top of the bin and immediately around the point where the grain is delivered into the bin. Otherwise stated, the spout 22 delivers the grain or material through the endless spraying head 31 and the perforations in the latter are arranged to evenly distribute the water inward, toward and around the inflowing stream of grain or material.

These-called steam rack 26-27 from a broad point of view is a heat radiator, and it will, of course, be understood that either hot water or hot air might possibly, in some instances, be employed as the heat supplying medium.

What we claim is:

The combination with a bin having a discharge orifice in its bottom, of a supply spout for delivering grain or other material into the upper portion of said bin, and a heating pipe having vertical and transverse portions located at the axis of said bill, the outer portion of said bin being free from obstructions and the said'pipe affording a retaining device or obstruction at the axis of the bin.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in'presence of two witnesses.

JOHN F. YLAHART. CHARLES J. BOUR. FRANK B. HARRIMAN.

Witnesses: 1 1 E.-MOARTHUR, O. H.:P]:ELER. V

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the enrn missioner of Patents ii 7 Z Washington, D. 6. 

